The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1887-12-29

HE leaves are fallin', and
NJ in . couple of weeks moro
~ the trees will be bare. In
another month, old chaps
like me must stay indoors,
IL. these pleasant walks along the bank
must be given up until next May"
The speaker was an ancient mariner,
rough and rugged - an old oak tree; one Of
many such that may be met any fine day
along the bluff In front of the Sailors Snug
Harbor at Staten island.
: "And down South. he continued, ''it are
jist a-comin' on spring, which are what are
goin' on continually in life; old chaps like
me in the winter Of their days and young
sters like that yonder," pointing to q passing
boy, ''comin' in for their spring and sum-
mer. With me twill soon be always night,
while for time he has etarnal daylight. or
Cape Horn, now, the days are gittin' longer
and longer, and by Christmas time, when
we have to burn gas nearly all day, there'll
be scarce any night there at ALL"
"And speakin' of Christmas, minds me-
Of one Christmas dinner We had in the olo
bark Mersey in 1840. She were one Of then;
craft what were owned by . company o.
chaps - wanted to git to the diggins in Cali
fornia, whore everybody aboard 'cept u
chaps afore the mast owned . share Of her.
and where all the cargo aboard were owned
by them likewise; and ~ for us sailormen,
we went out for nothin', cause we had the
fever as it were called, and wanted to git
out to the diggins and git fortin in gold.
THAT ere, you know, were thirty-eight
year ago, and I were only thirty-two year
old, and, though you mightn't think IL now
to look at me, I were then strong as OK ane
spry a. a-kitten, - was likewise most Of "
chaps a. got chance in this old hooker.
"You see, sir, them times nobody wouldn't
send any ship q was good for anythin' to
California, cause captains, mates and crew
allcut their lucky a. soon a. the anchor
were down in San Francisco harbor, and tn.
ship jiss be to stay there, and presumes that
the old Mersey are ct this minute underneath
some big brick store. When they filled in
the harbor there, to. make water front,
they didn't stop to move these old hookers,
but jist covered 'em mp. Howsever. that's
neither here nor there. There was lots a
wanted TO git out there, and lot Of chaps
. hundred, maybe-would git together and
buy the ship out and out, and load her with
Whatever they thought they could make .
spec ON out there. They generally give the
captain share or two for his sarvices, and
the mate likewise, and all the rest Of the
ships company, from the second mate and
carpenter down, they could git for the ask
ing, everybody bein' crazy to go and mo-
body seein' anythin' ahead Of him but yaller
gold.
II mind our old mans fust tussel with 'er
were of Rio Jsnairo. You see the old bars
were, without exception, the slowest thin.
that ever wore canvas, and we was eight
days out afore We was up with the latitude q
Rio. We'd had lots Of rain on the line and
had flied up ali our water casks, 10 as to
that We was al right, and we had lots of
-four and biscuits and salt provisions on
board - cargo. but the fresh grub had long
been gone and the passenger r-owners con-
cluded they'd Ike to 60 in and get supplies.
There had been little tins 'twixt them and
the old man for weeks, ard he hadn't spoke
to them nor they to him, but they found
out-ffom the mats ! suppose-as we was
a-gittin' up In the latitude Of Rio, and
they holds meetin' and resolves to 90 in
and they presents these resolutions 10
the captain. I always had An idee that II
they hadn't done nothin' the skipper would
have gone In Of his own dee will and accord.
but he weren't goin' to bs ordered in, and
he told 'em he'd ~ 'em blowed nnt. Then
they held another msetin' and deposed him
turned him out Of the command-snd ap-
pointed the mate skipper but the mate
know'd better than b guilty Of an ct Of
open mutiny, and he Wouldn't take charge.
Then these chaps produced their shootin'
iropp, and threatened the skipper II he didn't
take 'sm In 10 Rio they'd blow his
brains out. or put him in irons, or what not,
and then he called I'll hands, clewed mp the
royal to'eallan' sails. hauled up the courses,
closereetsd the topsails, and then sent ali
hands below.
Now. gentlemen,' says ths skipper, I've
got the ship perfectly snug 20 - mono Of you
need bein any fear Of your live, and TN
/ sgivs hsr up 10 you. When you ~ tizsd u
Waitfns and